The Next Chapter - An Amourshipping Beginning
by FieryQuartz1550
Summary: With his most recent Pokemon League loss behind him, Ash decides it's time to set out again. But, when Serena decides to accept the apprenticeship with Palermo, just before he can ask her to go with him, Ash struggles to move forward. Will Ash be able to find the courage to ask her anyway, or will it mean they will be split apart before anything can truly begin?
1. Continuing Where They Left Off

Continuing Where They Left Off

The air was chilled, but relaxingly crisp, and the smell of pine trees wafted through the air. The ground was cold and hard, and you could hear every individual stomp as Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont marched their way down the path. The Kalos League was over, and it was time for everyone to travel home, but with the regular path closed for construction, they would have to shortcut through the icy biome surrounding Snowbelle City. Ash was clenching onto his winter jacket as the frosty bite of the winds blew by. Pikachu, wearing a special red scarf Serena picked out for him, jumped onto Ash's other shoulder and gave him a warm nuzzle. Ash smiled a bit, but he still had a subtle glum expression. It has been a long week for everyone, Ash had battled hard in the Kalos League, but like every other league he challenged, he lost even though he had worked hard to get there. Bonnie had grown tired of letting the awkward silence make everyone uncomfortable, so she ran up to Ash and said the same thing everyone was wondering.

"Ash," she said snapping Ash out of his trance. He was so lost in his thought, he jumped a little when she came up to him, but he looked down to her as she asked. "Are you alright?" Ash did nothing but smile at her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked with a happy tone.

"Well, I guess we're all just a teensy-bit worried your last battled at the Kalos League hurt you more than you're saying," she said with deep concern in her voice. Denenene! The little mouse Pokémon in her bag chittered in acknowledgment, but all Ash did was give her a happy grin and assure her everything was alright. "But Ash…"

I'm fine," he interrupted. "Really, it takes a lot more than losing a battle to get me down, even if it was at the Pokémon League." Serena pulled out her guidebook and double checked how far they were from their destination.

"Looks like the Pokémon Center should be just over the next hill," she said. Ash took a hearty deep breath and stared straight ahead.

"Great, then let's go!" Ash exclaimed as he ran ahead. He made his way up the hill, but the others didn't race after him like they usually did. He said he was fine, but the truth was everyone could feel Ash's disappointment and were concerned for him, especially Serena. She had a special connection with him that began all those years ago at Professor Oak's Summer Camp; when Ash was happy she was happy, and when Ash was sad she found that she was sad as well. Bonnie and Clemont didn't have the same connection, but they were all still quite close and could feel the same sadness she felt emitting from Ash. Though, it wasn't just the feeling he wasn't getting any better, Ash felt the same thing everyone else had been feeling since they got to the Kalos League. Their journey together was nearly over, and after the League, they would all have to go their separate ways. Now that all was said and done, they were trying not to think about what was coming up next, but it was pointless. There was only one path for them to take before they would all have to split up, and they weren't happy about it.

***5 Minutes Later***

The Pokémon Center door opened with a warm breeze that helped them out of the cold weather. Seeing familiar faces in Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff as they took off their heavy winter wear, they tried to make the best of things, as not to spread their sadness to everyone else at the Pokémon Center. Serena, however, couldn't change her expression so easily. What she was feeling may have made splitting up harder for her than everyone else. She hadn't seen Ash for years and splitting up so soon after so long apart made her feel miserable, and her lingering feelings for Ash certainly didn't help. As she looked down at the floor, worried about what to do next, a familiar voice made her lose her train of thought.

"Hey, you guys!" She looked up and saw Shauna and Sawyer running up to all of them in heavy duty snow coats. Serena couldn't help but smile when she saw and ran to meet them.

"Hey!" She squealed. Everyone always smiled when they were able to meet up with good friends, but for everyone, there was always that one friend who could always help you out of your gloomy mood: for Serena that was Shauna, and for Ash that was Sawyer. "I can't believe it's you two!"

"Well, it is!" Shauna said excitedly. "It's been a really long time."

"And, even though I just saw you guys recently at the Kalos League, that doesn't change the fact that it's really good to see you all," Sawyer said with a smile.

"You got that right!" Ash heartily concurred. "What are the odds we'd all meet up here?"

"If I had to say," Clemont began. "The fact that all of our homes reside in the same general vicinity, and that there's construction going on down the only other path from the Pokemon League that'll take us there until they all diverge, makes it almost dead certain. The only thing I can't figure out is, how do the two of you know each other?" Clemont made and good point and that made everyone else wonder the same thing since they weren't all together when it happened.

"Shauna and I actually met a while back after I went ahead of you guys to the League," Sawyer explained. "I bumped into her at the Pokémon Center and recognized her from the showcase on TV, she was amazing."

"After that, we chatted for a while, and then we just kinda started traveling together," Shauna continued. "But, then later we ran into Tierny and Trevs, and I got pulled away for a while."

"She wanted to catch up with her friends, but we agreed to meet up again after the Pokémon League," Sawyer finished. "And, we've decided we're going to start a new journey together. Since neither of us could win this time, we're gonna try and help each other out, and I know we'll both win next time." Everyone else smiled at the idea, it was fun to think of where they would be going next, and it kept their minds off of their own troubles.

"I've been practicing like crazy since the last time Serena," Shauna said excitedly. "I'll bet you've been practicing a whole lot for the next time too!" Serena's expression quickly changed and she felt a little awkward.

"Um, well," she started. "The truth is, I haven't given the next time much thought. I've just been enjoying this next part of my journey with Ash… And Bonnie and Clemont!" Serena blushed a little from her mistake, and even though it couldn't be seen, Ash blushed a bit too. Serena tried to find something to take away the awkwardness, and then suddenly noticed there were only 5 of them. "Um, hey guys where did Bonnie go?" Everyone looked around to see Bonnie was gone, that is until Sawyer pointed her out down the hall. Bonnie had her heart set on finding a wife for her big brother, and one by one she was proposing to every girl in sight trying to get him engaged by this evening. Clemont's face turned a fiery red in humiliation, in spite of every time he lectured her not to interfere with his love life, she still kept trying to hook him up with total strangers.

"Oh no, Bonnie I told you to stop this!" He called out to her in a panic, but she didn't listen. She just kept jumping from girl to girl, which simply made Clemont's face even redder. "MMMMMGH! I need to stop her, I'll see you guys later!" Clemont ran faster than he ever had before, without stopping to rest once. Truly his fear of embarrassment by his baby sister was more than he could bear. Everyone gave a look of good grief as they saw him run after her.

"Well, if those two are busy, this'll be the perfect time for us to catch up," Shauna said as she grabbed Serena's arm. "Come on, there's a café here that makes the most delicious cup of milky cocoa you'll find anywhere!" Serena smiled at the idea of a rich cup of hot chocolate with biscotti to help her warm up. The two of them ran down to the café without a care in the world, leaving Ash and Sawyer by themselves.

"Guess that leaves us," Ash said stating the obvious. "Since Pikachu and I haven't got anywhere to go until Nurse Joy takes care of the others, whaddya say we go out into the courtyard and have a battle?!" Even as upset as he was now, Ash could always find the energy to battle, and that just put Sawyer in the mood to do the same.

"You're on!" Sawyer said in excitement. The two of them rushed down to the back of the Center where the battlefield was, more pumped than they had been since the league.


	2. Realizations

Realizations

Serena and Shauna had gotten quite comfortable in the café; the warm heat from the fireplace in the center, and the heavenly scent of macaroons, biscotti, and other baked goods helped them to forget their worries. Serena took a sip of her cocoa and gave a little blush as the creamy warmth brushed her cheeks.

"Wow, this really is amazing!" she said in delight.

"I told you," Shauna joked. The both of them drank from their cups and just laughed as they caught up on their newest experiences. "So, you really got an offer from Aria's agent Palermo?! I knew you were great, but that's just amazing!" Serena rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment and blushed. "But, I don't understand, why would you turn that down?" Serena's expression changed, and she started to blush a little more.

"Well, um, you see," she replied. "I told her I wanted to wait before I went with her anywhere. I wanted to finish the journey I started with my friends first, before moving onto anything so big." Serena said she just wanted to finish what she started, but the faint blush on her face screamed Ash, in a big way, and Shauna was fluent in Attract-ish.

"Oh, I see," Shauna said teasingly. Serena just jumped and blushed even more. "It's okay, I get it… Believe me, I get it." Serena gave Shauna a suspicious glare and wondered just what she meant by that. All Shauna did was stare at her mug and over sweeten her drink, lost in thought. "Can I ask you something, personal? What do you do exactly when you think you might like a boy?" Serena blushed a bit, and then asked what she meant. "I don't mean what you do when you actually like them, I just mean when you think you may have feelings, but you don't know for sure?" At first, Serena was confused, but after a couple of seconds began to connect the dots.

"Who is he?" Serena asked bluntly. Shauna jumped and blushed, but Serena held a solid expression that said she pretty much knew.

"Nobody," Shauna stuttered. "I mean, he is somebody, but he's not exactly well known, not that he's not getting there! And, I'm not even sure I like him, I mean I don't not like him, but I don't think I like-like him. That is…" Serena just batted an eyebrow and stopped Shauna right there.

"It's Sawyer, isn't it?" She said. Shauna just stopped and stared down at her drink, blushing with a beet red face. Serena looked at her with concern and stopped her from mixing in anymore cream with her drink. "Is that why you decided to start traveling with him, because you wanted to see if you felt anything." Shauna just blushed even more and slid back in her chair while she covered her face with her hands. Serena reached over and got Shauna to remove her hands and sit up.

"The truth is, I've never actually liked a boy before," Shauna explained. "I've been friends with Tierno and Trevor since we were little, and all I ever thought was they were my best friends. But Sawyer, he's so driven to become better. He's always taking notes on battles he experiences, and he always stays so positive, even when he loses. He doesn't think of himself as weak, but he doesn't think of himself as anything special, even though he's more than he thinks. So, when I'm with him, I just feel so.. so…"

"Warm and fuzzy?" Serena interjected. Shauna gave her a nod, and Serena just sighed. "I'm not an expert on love, but I know this much: If you feel funny when you're around him that pretty much guarantees you have feelings for him. But, if you're going to go traveling with him, don't do it because you want to see if there's something between you, do it because he's a great friend, and because traveling with him means you can help each other to fulfill your dreams, so you won't feel so alone." Shauna nodded as Serena explained. "One other thing: If you like him, don't go traveling with him and expect something to happen. If you want something you have to go for it yourself, don't just expect something to happen while you're traveling together." Shauna understood everything Serena was saying and nodded in understanding. However, there was still one thing she didn't get that left a very puzzled look on her face.

"But, if that's the best thing to do when you like someone," Shauna began. "Why haven't you done the same thing and told Ash?" Serena jolted back and blushed.

"I.. I don't see how that works here," she replied. "The situation with me and Ash is different."

"Just how is it different?!" Shauna asked her. Serena just blushed more as she became flustered.

"Well, it's… it's…" She stammered. "It's a lot more complicated than you think."

"Why, because you love him?!" Shauna teased.

"No, it's not," Serena snapped.

"Your mouth says no, but your blush says yes," Shauna teased again. Serena tilted her head down and gritted her teeth.

"Shauna, drop it okay?" she said through her teeth. Shauna suddenly became worried and dropped all the teasing, but not the subject.

"You know you like him," she said bluntly. "Why don't you just do something about it already?" Serena looked at her sternly and began to retaliate.

"Because it's just not going to happen," she said.

"You don't know that," Shauna replied. "For all you know he feels exactly the same way."

"No, he doesn't!" Serena snapped.

"You won't know unless you ask him!" Shauna retaliated.

"Just shut up about it, okay?!" Serena retaliated back. "It's nothing like that!"

"Maybe it's exactly like that!" Shauna nearly shouted. "What makes you so sure it's not?!" Serena's blush now overtook her entire face, and her eyes began to tear up as she held her head down, trying to sort out her next words and tell Shauna the absolute truth. Until she simply didn't have any other way to sugarcoat it and just admitted what she was feeling.

"Because Ash has not once ever shown any interest in me!" She shouted. The entire café suddenly stopped and stared. Serena's face turned completely red as she sat back down. Shauna just stared at her with a deeply worried look on her face as she tried to figure out what to say next. Serena started to cry a little but recovered quick enough to keep from sobbing.

"Are-are you okay?" Shauna asked. Serena wiped her eyes and began to explain.

"The *sniff*," she started, holding back tears. "The difference between my love life and yours is that, with Sawyer, you have a chance to be happy. I saw how Sawyer was looking at you, the way he blushed when he looked at you, how he kept complimenting you when you were talking together, he shows every sign that he likes you back. Ash has never shown any interest in me, not when we were together at camp, not this entire last year we've been traveling together."

"How do you know he doesn't?" Shauna asked. "Maybe he just expresses his feelings differently…"

"No, he doesn't!" Serena interjected. She began to flare her nostrils a little but calmed down a little before explaining. "The face you make when you like someone, that face that shows you have some real love for them, he's never even glanced at me with that look. I know because I've made that face towards him every single day of our journey." Shauna wanted to try to prove her wrong, but she knew she had no proof that she was. Serena blew her nose in her handkerchief and dried her eyes. "I thought that maybe he did treat me special, but the truth is he treats me no differently than everyone else. All I did when I started traveling with them was think about me and Ash, not even thinking ahead about what I was actually going to do with myself, but now I've found my purpose; I want to be a performer, and I've worked hard to become one. But even now, the showcase is over, and I practically turned down the opportunity of a lifetime because of this idea that something would just start, like flowers in the rain. I thought that if I finished the last stretch with them something might finally happen between us, but I guess what I've realized is that it's just too late to try and start something without putting too much risk on something great, like our entire friendship. Hmm, and what I've also finally realized is that I'm not going to wait around anymore in hopes of something happening from unrealistic expectations." Serena felt like she had been hit by serendipity; it took an uncomfortable moment, and an awkward talk for her to finally have the realization she should've had long ago. No more waiting, she rummaged through her bag to find the one thing to help her go where she now felt she should've gone in the first place.

***Meanwhile, On the Battlefield***

"Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!" Sawyer cried out. His Sceptile whipped up a Leaf Storm that managed to lift Pikachu and send it flying, even with its Iron Tail anchor in place.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out. Pikachu was squealing like crazy as the Leaf Storm spun him around and around, until it finally threw him into a wall, out cold. "PIKACHU!" Ash ran to Pikachu as fast as he could, while Sawyer returned Sceptile to its PokéBall, with a subtly worried expression on his face. "Are you alright buddy?" The electric mouse gave him a reassuring Pika-Pika, but Ash still grew all the more upset. Ash was off his game the entire battle, and it wasn't hard for Sawyer to take note of it. He knew something was wrong, but they had to deal with Pikachu's well-being first.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get him inside to Nurse Joy, she'll take good care of him." Ash nodded in agreement and they both rushed in. It took a few minutes for her to finish up with her last patient, but she was more than able to focus on Pikachu now that there were no other Pokémon to worry about. Ash walked over to the bench Sawyer was sitting at and let out a heavy sigh. "Are you okay?" Ash just scoffed and looked at the floor in annoyance.

"I'm-fine, alright?" he said clearly aggravated. "Why does everyone keep asking that?" Sawyer gave him his special, "you-are-kidding-right?" stare and began to poke the Beartic.

"Don't try and deny it," he said. "You were completely out of focus our entire battle, and Sceptile did more to Pikachu than it should've been able. Something's bothering you and you know it, so just say it okay?"

"Nothing, I'm telling you, Sawyer, there is nothing…" he started. Ash tried to finish that last sentence, but all starting it did was make Sawyer stare at him even more sternly. Ash was aggravated that Sawyer kept insisting, but he was right, and Ash figured maybe there was no point left in trying to hide it. "The truth is, maybe this last loss at the Kalos League has me a little more beat than I'm saying." Sawyer nodded and gave a little hmm; he expected this much from a tough trainer like Ash.

"I figured as much," he said. "Look, Ash, I know losing something big like this can be hard, but I know you. You're a really strong trainer whether you win or lose, and with your attitude, you'll just bounce back stronger than ever, ready for whatever's next." Ash began to clench his fist, annoyed that everyone expected the same thing but had no clue about the truth.

"It's not just the fact that I lost, okay!" Ash interjected. "Everyone thinks I'm just bummed about losing, but the truth is it's a lot more than that." Ash had been traveling for over 6 years now, and in spite of winning 52 badges, the Battle Frontier, and defeating several legendary Pokémon he felt like he wasn't getting anywhere. To make matters worse, he had seen and battled many Pokémon that were new to him, from yet another region he had never heard of before. He felt such a conflicting sense of adventure and pointlessness; should he try again, or after 6 years was it a sign that he should retire from a life of adventure? "I've been trying to become a Pokémon Master for a long time, but no matter how far I get, I just wind up losing. Now I know there's another region out there that I've never heard of, with Pokémon I've never seen before. I want to go, if I'm ever gonna be a Pokémon Master I _need_ to go, but I can't help but feel like I'm stuck in one place." Sawyer hadn't been traveling as long as Ash, but he understood. For a short while, before he got more than his only gym badge, he felt like none of the things he'd learned were helping, and he was stuck too. He hated that feeling, and couldn't imagine suddenly being hit by 6 years' worth of it. He knew it was awful, but he knew how to get out of it.

"Ash," he began. "Tell me, why did you start your journey?" Ash looked at him with a really puzzled face; he thought it was obvious, but he told him.

"To fulfill my dream," he answered.

Sawyer nodded and asked, "And, if you've been doing this for so long, why have you kept journeying up until now when you felt like this?" Again, Ash thought it was obvious, but he didn't understand where Sawyer was going with this.

"Because, I haven't done it yet?" Ash answered unsurely. Sawyer batted an eyebrow with an alternate thought.

"Is that really the reason why?" Sawyer asked trying to imply something. "Are you the same guy you were when you started traveling?"

"Well, no," Ash stuttered. "When I started, all I could think about was catching and training all kinds of new Pokémon." Ash said as he started to understand.

"So whenever you lost, what happened that always made you think that the next time would be different?" Sawyer asked.

"Well, all the people and Pokémon I met along the way," Ash said. "I always showed them I was determined, and that I would never give up, even when things got tough. After I lost all those times before, I guess I wanted to try and be the person they all thought I was; I always showed them I tried to be strong, and even when I lost they always believed in me."

"Especially…" Sawyer said trying to imply something.

"Especially when it was coming from my friends," Ash said starting to realize what was going on. "I've never ended up traveling alone, but this time has been different. The friends I've made here are some of the best I've found in a long time, and all the fun we've had traveling through Kalos… I don't want that to end!" Ash looked up with a shocked expression, and Sawyer just looked at him with a satisfied smile; he finally knew what was bothering him so much, and Ash couldn't believe it. "I'm not worried nothing's going to change, my Pokémon and I are getting stronger all the time; I'm worried about losing my awesome friends!" Ash jumped up out of his seat in excitement. Ash always stayed in touch with all the other friends he traveled with, but after a while, he always felt like they started to drift apart, and he didn't want that to happen anymore. With that, Ash finally knew what he had to do, and he wasn't going to wait any longer. "I need to find the others, there's no time to lose. Thanks, Sawyer, you're the best!" Ash ran off through the halls of the Pokémon Center, in search of his companions. Sawyer just sat in his seat with a slightly smug grin about what had just happened.

"Of course," he began with a sarcastic tone. "I can't help but wonder if it's one friend, in particular, he doesn't want to lose. Oh wait, did Ash leave before I could mention that?" All Sawyer did was snicker about what he knew, and laid back to let Ash do what he had to.


	3. Good News?

Good News?

Ash ran through the halls as fast as he could, he had to tell the others how he felt before it was too late. He knew from experience that coming so close to the end of a journey meant new plans and opportunities could come up for everyone, and that he had to say it before those opportunities could arise.

"Guys?!" He called out. "Clemont, Bonnie… Serena?!" Ash had looked everywhere; every room, every hall, every bench, the others were just nowhere to be found. Pika-pika, Pikachu said as he tried to comfort Ash, whose face was now sinking more than a Muk's. "Where could they have all gone Pikachu? There's only one way to go with all the other roads closed and this cold weather, and they wouldn't just leave without saying anything?" ZZZZAAAAAH! Suddenly, Ash heard a familiar sound of thunder; it was Clemont's Luxray, using a Wild Charge attack. "That came from the battlefield, let's check it out." Pikachu nodded in agreement as Ash ran to the back of the Pokémon Center. When he got out there, Ash saw a ferocious battle of electric-types going on. He wasn't surprised to see Clemont and Luxray on one side, but the most shocking thing was who was on the other side. Bonnie and Dedenne: It was Luxray VS Dedenne in what looked like some sort of sibling quarrel.

"Now Luxray, use Thunder Fang!" Clemont cried out. Luxray charged up its teeth with surging electricity and charged straight for Dedenne.

"We're not going to be beat that easily!" Bonnie boasted. "Dedenne, slide under Luxray to dodge!" NENE, the mouse Pokémon cried out as it slide under Luxray, effectively avoiding the Thunder Fang. "Now use Nuzzle!" Dedenne quickly rubbed on its cheeks, charging up electricity, and then gave Luxray a powerful shock straight to the belly. Luxray powered down its Thunder Fang and stumbled back, sparking with electricity, as Clemont let out a gasp of worry that Luxray was now paralyzed. "It's all over now, use Tackle!" Dedenne bolted towards Luxray, running with fiery determination in its eyes, but Luxray and Clemont both looked down and gave a sudden suspicious smirk, which made Bonnie gasp in panic.

"You're right Bonnie, it is over," Clemont said with certainty. "Luxray, use Iron Tail!" Luxray shook off the sparks and hit Dedenne upwards with a solid steel tail, then jumped up after it to slam it back down with another hit. After the dust cleared, it was obvious who the victor was, but Bonnie didn't care and just ran up to Dedenne to care for it. Clemont straightened his glasses and walked up to the both of them, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a Sitrus Berry. "Dedenne is resilient, it'll be fine, but this Sitrus Berry should help speed that up." Bonnie took the berry and started feeding Dedenne. Before long, the mouse Pokémon was up and running around again, full of more energy than before they even started the battle. "You had a good strategy Bonnie, but you forgot, electric-type moves can deal damage but can't paralyze electric-type Pokémon." Bonnie opened her eyes wider and face palmed herself.

"Doh!" she let out. "Of course they can't." Bonnie looked down, clearly upset that she'd lost, with her partner Pokémon.

"But, it was still a great battle," Clemont said as he kneeled down to reassure her. "You lasted longer than I was expecting. I have to admit, I'm actually really proud of you." Bonnie's eyes lit up, and a big smile spread across her face; hearing those words from her Gym Leader big brother meant the world to her. The two of them smiled, while Luxray and Dedenne played together a little bit in congratulations.

"That-was-awesome!" Ash shouted as he broke the silence, and ran up to the both of them. "Bonnie, that was terrific, the way you were in sync with Dedenne as you battled with it!" Bonnie smiled even more as one of her best friends, someone else she looked up to, gave her such high praise. "And Clemont, that fake out with Luxray, acting like it'd been paralyzed when you were just waiting for Dedenne to come in for the final blow was great! And, Luxray learned Iron Tail too! Fantastic!" Clemont just rubbed his neck and blushed a little in humility.

"Heh, thanks," he said. "Luxray and I have been working on that for a while. We've actually been watching you and Pikachu a lot so we could perfect it." Ash smiled and glanced at Bonnie as he started to realize how weird it was that the two of them had battled.

"Say, why were you guys battling anyway?" he asked. Clemont and Bonnie both got an awkward look on their faces and they looked to each other before explaining.

"Well, I was trying to help Clemont finally find a good girlfriend for him," Bonnie explained. "Then he snatched me up with his Aipom Arm and started going on about how embarrassing it is again."

"So _she_ said," Clemont began. "If you think you're so sure you can do without my help, why don't we settle this with a battle?" Ash became a little shocked but understood just where this was going. "I tried to tell her the outcome was inevitable, but she refused to listen to me, as usual. But, at least something good came out of it." Bonnie started to pout again as Ash looked at her, expecting an explanation.

"So now," she said discouraged. "*Sigh* I'm not allowed to try and talk to anymore girls to try and pair up my brother." Ash just placed his hand over his mouth and giggled a bit, as Clemont grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered something.

"I know she's not really gonna stop," Clemont whispered. "But, that should get her off my back for at least the next week." Clemont and Ash both started to laugh a little under their breath, while Bonnie just looked at them, annoyed. Just then, Ash stopped laughing and remembered just why he'd run out there, looking for them, in the first place.

"Oh, I almost forgot why I came out here!" Ash said in shock. Bonnie and Clemont looked at him, confused, and grew a bit concerned.

"Is everything alright Ash?" Clemont asked.

"Nothing bad happened, did it?" Bonnie continued.

"Wha-No, no, no, nothing's wrong," Ash began. "It's just…" Ash paused for a second, trying to figure out what to say. He took a deep breath, and figured out how to continue. "I'm sorry." Bonnie and Clemont just got even more confused as Ash tried to explain. "I know I haven't exactly been cheery since the Kalos League, even though I keep saying I'm fine. But, the truth is, I'm a little more shook up than I said. It's not that I lost though, that just means there's still so much for me to learn. It's just the fact that I still need to get out there and learn it, and now I know how I'm gonna do that." Ash raised his arm towards his friends as he said the next part. "I'm going to go traveling again, to the Alola region… And, I want you guys to come with me." Bonnie and Clemont's eyes widened as they became a little shocked about what Ash was proposing. "Every time I start a new journey, it's always just me and Pikachu. Sure, in the end I have great new friends traveling with me, but I'm sick of going in alone. This time, I want to start something new with the great friends I've already got." Ash finished explaining, and Bonnie and Clemont just looked at each other about it.

"All of us?" Clemont said, hopeful.

"Yeah, all of us," Ash answered smiling. Clemont didn't know what to say; he was having mixed thoughts about traveling out of his home region, whether or not Bonnie was really ready for something like that, and how this could affect his responsibilities as Gym Leader. He simply had no idea of what to do, until Bonnie stepped next to him and grabbed his arm.

"Please Clemont?!" Bonnie said excited. "Please can we go?! I don't want to stop traveling together, and I want to see all kinds of new places and meet a lot more new, cute, Pokémon! Please, please, can we please?!" Clemont saw how much Bonnie wanted to go, but just thought about if he could even more. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Voltage Badge he had been carrying with him. It was the first one he'd ever designed for the Lumiose Gym. All he did was stare at it, trying to figure out what to do, until he just closed his eyes and finally made up his mind.

"You know what," Clemont started. "You're still not done learning to become a Pokémon Master, and I'm still not done learning from you. I'm a lot stronger because of it, and I want to keep becoming stronger. So, if you're going somewhere new to do just that, I don't want to fall behind. I'm in!" Clemont gave Ash and Bonnie a hearty look as the both of them smiled in utter joy.

"YAY!" Bonnie said jumping around. "Happy, Happy Bonnie!"

"That's fantastic!" Ash said as he jumped into the air, happier than even Bonnie could express.

"So, did you talk to Serena about this yet?" Clemont asked.

"Not yet," Ash explained. "I was having trouble finding you guys, but as soon as I see her, I'm gonna grab her by the hand, look her right in the eyes and say…" Before Ash could finish that sentence, a robotic arm suddenly came from out of the bushes and grabbed Pikachu, Dedenne, and Luxray. "Pikachu!"

"Luxray no!" Clemont cried out.

"No! Dedenne!" Bonnie said, starting to cry a little. Ash clenched his fist as he became angrier and angrier.

"Alright, that's enough!" Ash called out. "I know you guys are there, so why don't you just come out!" Ash's hunch was dead on, as a giant Meowth balloon, covered in a cartoonish winter jacket came out from behind the trees, with 3 coated familiar faces in the basket.

 _Prepare for trouble, you're finally learning,_

 _And make it double, soon your ears will be burning._

 _To protect the world from devastation,_

 _To unite all people within our nation!_

 _To denounce the evils of traveling afar,_

 _You're not leaving so easily, so stay right where you are!_

 _Jessie!_

 _And, James of course!_

 _Team Rocket blasts off with Pikachu in hand,_

 _Stay put, as we use it to take over a new land!_

 _Meowth, that's grand!_

 _Wobbuffet!_

"Team Rocket!" Everyone cried out at once.

"Hahahaha!" Jessie cackled. "If you think you're traveling to some new region with these Pokémon, then you are sadly mistaken!"

"These are going to be fine members of Team Rocket's new Electric-type Pokémon Posse!" James said.

"And that'll help us power through the Team Rocket Ranks come promotion time!" Meowth cried out.

"Oh no it won't!" Ash yelled. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachuuuuuuuuuu! Pikachu let out a powerful shock, but it did no good.

"Hehehe!" Meowth laughed. "Our Super Electric Pikachu Pinching Conductor Cage makes taking off with your zappy little pals practically a 5 star resort retreat!" Pikachu just kept zapping and zapping, but all it did was flow from the bars up to Team Rocket's balloon, turning on a series of appliances they had.

"Ah, there's nothing like central heating to help take the chill off in winter," Jessie said. "Sorry twerps, but Pikachu's just powering up a plethora of powered appliances we have plugged in!"

"And now, we'll use that juice to get away from the likes of you!" James said.

"Toodeloo!" Meowth said. Two twin jets extended from the sides of their balloon and started blasting them off using Pikachu's power.

"No Pikachu! Luxray! Dedenne!" everyone said one-by-one.

"MmmMm! Pass the Pomeg Juice please," Jessie said.

"With Pikachu powering us, pinching Pokemon is a breeze!" James said.

"Hercules!" Meowth cried out in concurrence. Before they could get any higher a pink, glittery, wind came out from behind them and knocked them off course.

"AAAAH!" they all cried out.

"Okay, who's the wise guy?" Jessie said discombobulated.

"One thing's for sure, they knocked the wind out of our sails," James said dizzily.

"Let's bail," Meowth muttered. WOBBUFFET!

"Ash! Clemont! Bonnie!" They all looked down, ahead of them, to see Serena and her Sylveon running towards them. Ash gave a stern smile and nod towards her and grabbed his PokéBall.

"Greninja, cut them down now!" Ash cried out, releasing Greninja. The dark blue frog Pokémon jumped up as high as its powerful legs could take it, and sliced open the cage holding the 3 electric Pokémon. "Pikachu!" Ash ran to catch Pikachu, just barely grabbing onto him before hitting the ground. Luxray fell to the ground on its feet, and Clemont ran up to it, while Bonnie ran ahead and fell on her behind as she barely caught Dedenne in a big hug.

"Eh?" Meowth said starting to snap out of it. "That little twerpette just stole our free electricity!"

"Grr, I've had enough!" Jessie growled. "Gourgeist, let's finish this heist!"

"Okay Inkay, you too!" James said as he and Jessie both released their Pokémon. "Inkay, use Psybeam!"

"Gourgeist, use Seed Bomb!" Jessie ordered. The two Pokémon unleashed a powerful barrage on everyone from above, but Serena wasn't going to take that lying down.

"Sylveon, use Protect!" she exclaimed. "The pink, ribbony, Pokémon raised an impenetrable shield that had saved everyone just before it hit.

"Luxray, use Wild Charge on Gourgeist!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Dedenne, use Nuzzle on Inkay!" Bonnie exclaimed in sync. The two electric Pokémon unleashed their thunderous attacks and knocked back both of the enemy Pokémon back into the balloon in a sparky display.

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried out. Pikachu gave its signature growl as it hit them with its most powerful attack, blowing up their balloon and sending them flying.

"Looks like we're blasting off agaaaaain!" Team Rocket cried out as they were sent off into the horizon. Everyone hugged their Pokémon in joy as they were relieved they had done it again.

"Thanks, Serena," Ash said to her.

"We're lucky you came along before it was too late." Clemont continued. Serena smiled, as she hugged her Sylveon for a job well done.

"Not a problem," she answered. "It was a team thing." Ash chuckled a little as they all enjoyed another victory against Team Rocket.

"Huh? Hey, where were you anyway?" Ash asked. "I've been looking all over for you guys, but you just vanished into thin air." Serena returned Sylveon to its PokéBall and became concerned about how much she'd made them worry.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I couldn't find an open phone at the Pokémon Center, so I had to go to a payphone a short ways down the road. Luckily, I just finished my call before I saw Team Rocket's balloon with all the Pokémon trapped. Speaking of which, I've got some big news!"

"Hey, so does Ash!" Bonnie interjected. "Go on Ash, tell her!"

"That's okay Bonnie," Ash said. "Mine can wait. What's up Serena?" Ash said that thinking whatever she had would be something from home, unaware that he would soon be wishing he'd never let her go first. Serena took a bit of a breath to help her prepare to say it, and then she blurted it out."

"I just got off the phone with Palermo," Serena started. "She's a big time talent scout for Pokémon Performances. She saw me at the Master Class Performance and she offered me an apprenticeship… I've decided to take it." Everyone's eyes opened wide in awe as Serena told her the good news. They all ran up to her to hug and congratulate her on making it so far towards her dream. Everyone that is, except for Ash…


	4. Denial

Denial

As everyone cheered and crowded around Serena, Ash just stood there, motionless. He was too late, and he couldn't believe what he'd heard; Serena was leaving, just like that, without any kind of warning or clue. But, everyone else was so happy for Serena, they didn't even notice Ash was frozen as an Ice Beam attack.

"I can't believe it," Clemont said as the excitement began to die down. "You actually got an offer from Palermo herself? She's the agent who helped Aria become Kalos Queen! Just when did this happen?"

"Oh, um," Serena began. "It actually happened right after the Master Class performance. Palermo offered me the spot after I got knocked out of the competition, but I told her I wanted to finish traveling with you guys first. So, she gave me her number, and I decided it was time to call her." As Bonnie stood there, giving Serena the biggest hug she could give, she opened her eyes and saw Ash standing separately from the group hug, frozen. It hit her like a ton of bricks and she immediately broke away to turn their attention to Ash.

"Hey wait a sec," she began. "Ash had something important to say too!" Clemont realized that Ash had wanted to ask her to come traveling with them before she told them the news, and suddenly worry overtook his face. He turned his head alongside Serena, wondering what Ash was going to say next. "Ash wasn't there something important you wanted to ask Serena before Team Rocket interrupted us?!" Ash just stood there, without saying a word. Until, Bonnie's words snapped him out of it, and he finally processed what was going on.

"U-uh um," he stammered nervously. "Sorry, what was the question?" Bonnie shrugged in annoyance and repeated.

"Did you, or didn't you have something to ask Serena?" she said through her teeth. Ash looked straight to her and gave a faint blush that couldn't be seen, but he just glanced down and looked at them with a casual reply.

"Nothing important," he said. Bonnie and Clemont suddenly got hit with a look of shock as Ash said it was nothing. "It was just about where we all wanna get lunch; I overheard someone in the center that the roads might be open soon, thought we should fill up." Bonnie was so irritated with what he just said, and was just struggling to keep from blurting out the truth, but Clemont put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head to it.

"Oh, okay," Serena replied happily. "I just had a snack with Shauna, but now that you mention it I am rather hungry. I'll head in and get us a table." She walked ahead of the others, and pet Pikachu on her way in. Ash was about to follow, but Bonnie grabbed him by the arm and jerked him back.

"Why did you do that?!" she whispered angrily. "You were gonna ask her to come with us, and you just… just.. Why did you do that?!" Ash pulled his arm away from Bonnie and tried to explain.

"It wasn't the right time," Ash used as an excuse. "Serena had this big news, and mine would've just ruined it." Ash began to walk away, with a scowl on his face.

"Come on," Serena called out. "You guys coming, or do I have to eat by myself."

"We're coming," Ash called back, before looking at Clemont and Bonnie. "Not a word about this to her. I'll ask her myself later, right now has to be about Serena." Ash walked ahead acting like everything was okay, but Bonnie was just sad about what had happened. Clemont walked up behind her and she gave him a hug.

"Is Ash really going to ask her?" she asked her big brother. Clemont looked at her and sighed.

"I don't know, but I sure hope he doesn't keep it to himself," he replied. They both looked down just as they walked off to join Ash and Serena, worried that she would be the only one not invited to come along to Alola.

***About 20 Minutes Later***

"Hm, this is pretty good!" Ash said stuffing his face, trying to break the silence they had. The crew had found a large table and sat down to lunch with Shauna and Sawyer, enjoying the Pokémon Center's new All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. Everything seemed normal, just a group of friends eating, but if you'd had lunch with them more than once you'd be able to tell something was off. Ash was eating more than he usually ate, Serena was a lot more set on her food, Clemont could barely touch his noodles, and Bonnie was just chewing on the same piece of bread for the past 5 minutes. Sawyer didn't eat with them often enough to notice, but Shauna could spot each little thing from a mile away.

"Is everything alright with you guys?" she asked with concern. Everyone looked at her and just asked what she meant. "Well, everyone just seems a little… tense. I don't know why, but you do."

"We're fine Shauna," Ash replied. "Don't worry, it's alright."

"I guess we're just on edge because this is the last leg of our journey through Kalos," Serena continued. "After we get to the next town, we're all going to go our separate ways and start a new chapter."

"Speaking of which," Sawyer interjected. "Shauna told me about your apprenticeship with Palermo. Congratulations on that, that's really big." Serena just blushed a bit, Sawyer just flattered her, and she couldn't help but be a bit embarrassed by it. "So when are you gonna meet her? I heard she's pretty high maintenance, so I'm guessing soon." Serena jumped back a bit at that; it was true that Palermo was a little demanding during their call, and Serena did know just when Palermo wanted to see her.

"Actually, she did mention that," Serena answered. "She wants me there as soon as possible, so in order to do that, I have to catch the next train to meet her in Coumarine City, tomorrow." Tomorrow! Everyone in her group jumped up in shock at what she said, all she did was go stiff and explain. "Yes, tomorrow. The roads should be clear by tomorrow morning, and the last train to Coumarine City until next week leaves tomorrow evening." Everyone listened and understood, they just sat down and tried to resume eating. Bonnie finally finished that piece of bread, though it was all she grabbed at the buffet.

"I'm getting some more food," she said as she grabbed her tray and walked off. Shauna knew things weren't right, and realized Bonnie would be the link to figuring it out.

"I think I'll join her," she said as she finished the last bit on her plate and got up to go after Bonnie. Bonnie had already made it to the serving station by the time Shauna caught up. "Okay, what's with the awkward silence? Usually, everyone's going on about how good the food is, or chatting about something that happened today. Bonnie, what's going on?" Bonnie tried not to say anything, but she had to say something, even if it was just an excuse.

"It's just what Serena said," she replied. "We're all tense because our journey together is ending, and it's a little sad." Shauna listened to her and just gave a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, don't worry," she said. "I know this big change can be scary, but you're all still gonna be friends afterward, right? You'll always be together, even if you're apart." She just chuckled a little as she bent down to give Bonnie a little hug, which did help her a lot.

"Thanks, Shauna," Bonnie said with a faint smile.

"No prob," Shauna said as she started to turn her attention to the snack bar. "Ooh! Cantaloupe!" Shauna darted for the fruit, and Bonnie stood next to her getting berries to continue their conversation.

"I just can't believe things are gonna change so much," she said. "I know it has to, but traveling just won't be the same without Serena." Shauna had snatched and eaten a cantaloupe slice when she said that, but realized just how out there that comment was from what she thought was going on.

"Huh? What does that mean?" she asked. Bonnie froze as Shauna asked that, she didn't even realize it had slipped out, but she was so dazed she couldn't help it.

"Oh, um, nothing!" she replied trying to make her way back to the table before Shauna could ask more.

"Bonnie," Shauna said as she grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her to face her. "What do you mean it won't be the same without Serena, what am I missing here?" Bonnie tried to keep any more from slipping out, but Shauna had cornered her with a hard stare, and she didn't know what else to do.

"Okay, okay," she said giving in. "Ash wanted to ask us to come traveling with him in Alola."

"What?!" Shauna quietly said, shocked at what she'd heard. Serena hadn't mentioned this at all. "Is that why everyone's so quiet?! Did Ash ask her and she said no?!"

"No," Bonnie interjected. "He hasn't even asked her yet, she told us she was leaving before he even could." Shauna couldn't believe what she'd heard. "Don't tell Serena any of this! Ash says he doesn't want to get in her way, but I'm not so sure." Bonnie walked off, back to the table while Shauna just stood there, trying to contemplate what to do next.

"MmMm! That was good!" Sawyer said as he finished his meal with the others. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm full. I think I'll get some extra training in before dinner. I'll see you guys later!" Sawyer dumped his dish and ran off.

"I think I'll get some more berries myself, I'll be right back," Serena said walking off to get more. Bonnie had just returned to the table as she left, which is right when Clemont put down his fork and started to talk.

"Okay, enough of this," he said to Ash sternly. Ash jumped back and stopped focusing on his food, confused but paying attention.

"What are you talking about?" he asked as if he didn't know.

"Seriously Ash, we need to address the Donphan in the room," Clemont continued. "Are you seriously not gonna say anything to Serena at all?!" Ash was caught in a tight spot but tried to wriggle his way out of it.

"Well, why should I?" he asked retaliating a little. "She came to us and said she'd made some new plans before I could ask. Asking her now won't do much good."

"You heard her, she had just called up Palermo before she told us," Clemont said.

"Yeah," Bonnie concurred. "I mean, it doesn't sound like she really wants to go. If she did, she would've said something a long time ago." Ash knew what they said made sense, but he still didn't feel comfortable with it.

"What can I do about it?!" he said whispering. "It's not like I can just walk up to her and ask her to put her dreams on hold just so she can come traveling with me somewhere far away!" Clemont and Bonnie looked at Ash with a bit of puzzlement. "Us, us, I meant us! Look, either way, I can't just come out and ask her like with you guys; she says she's got plans now, even if they were last minute."

"Then don't just ask her," Clemont said. "Like Bonnie said, it doesn't seem like she really wants this. You need to find out how she really feels about it; get her alone, spend some time with her to find out what she really wants, and then if she has doubts you ask her."

"How?!" Ash asked with a sliver of hope that he was right.

"I have an idea," Bonnie interjected, grabbing their attention. Meanwhile, Serena was going to get food, just when Shauna came up to her and stopped her in her tracks.

"We need to talk," she whispered in an angry tone.

"W-wha-what?" Serena stammered confusedly. "I-I was just about to go and get more ber…" Shauna stopped her right there and slid some of her berries onto Serena's plate.

"Here, you can take some of mine," she interrupted. "Why did you call Palermo?! I thought you told her you were gonna finish your journey first?!" Serena's face began to frown.

"I told you," she replied. "I'm sick of waiting, and I'm moving on myself. We were all going off on our own by tomorrow anyway, and I figured I'd left her waiting long enough."

"Call her back," Shauna replied. "Tell her you need to postpone, that you need to visit your family first, SOMETHING!" Serena just became more and more irritated.

"I told you, I'm moving on!" she retaliated as she started to walk back. "Why do you care so much anyway? I thought you understood me when I told you about this earlier."

"I did until I just found out that Ash was planning on taking you to Alola with him!" Shauna replied. Serena froze and almost dropped her plate as she turned around in shock. "Yeah, he was going to ask you to come traveling with him, but you tossed out this Palermo news before he had a chance!" Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing, she had just tried to move forward, with the biggest step possible, and now she was being told she took it too soon. "You need to cancel on Palermo, give Ash the chance to ask you so you can go together!"

"I-I-I," Serena stammered. "No-no way you must've heard wrong, Ash said he didn't have anything important." Shauna couldn't believe what she was hearing, and it just irritated her.

"Are you kidding?!" she said. "This is the special moment you said you've been waiting for, and you're just gonna let it slip away?!"

"I'm telling you, Ash isn't going to say anything," Serena said as she continued back. "If he were, he would've given me some sort of clue by now. Like wanting to talk to me, some sort of sign." Shauna just put her hands on her hips and pouted. Was Serena really just going to let this pass, or was that all just a ruse? Meanwhile, just as they were both approaching the table…

"So, you have the plan?" Clemont whispered to Ash.

"I've got it okay, I'll handle it," Ash replied as he turned around to face Serena. "Um.. Serena?" Serena looked to Ash in sudden wonder of what he was going to say next. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. So, if it's okay with you, could we meet up later?" Shauna bumped her in the arm, but Serena just rubbed the pain down and glared at her before turning her attention back to Ash.

"Sure," she replied. "But, I need to pack up my things for my trip, so I won't be free until dinner." Clemont and Bonnie glanced at each other, and gave each other a smirk, as they proceeded with _Phase 1_ of _The Plan_.

"That reminds me," Clemont said as he got up out of his chair. "I actually have a big project I need to be working on before we all leave, and now that I know you'll be on a train tomorrow, it looks like I'll be working on it all night. So, I won't be able to make it. " Bonnie looked at Shauna and gave her a wink to try and message her about what they were doing. Fortunately, she could already see where they were headed.

"Yeah, I won't be able to make it either," she said playing along. "I need to get some practice in on a special new performance, and I'm gonna need Bonnie's help perfecting it!" Bonnie didn't see that part coming but was just as giddy as a Happiny about it.

"Yippee!" she said forgetting about the plan. Serena stared at her, confused at why she seemed so surprised. "Um, yeah! I'm just really excited," she said barely covering it up.

"Well," Ash said. "Sawyer said he'd be training all night, so I guess that means it'll be just the two of us. That okay?" Serena's face just became shrouded with red as she tried to process what she was just asked, but all she could do was stand there.

"Serena?" Shauna asked, trying to snap her out of it. "Serena!" With that, Serena shook her head and snapped out of it.

"U-um, sure," she replied. Her face was almost a fiery red, and Ash's face wasn't exactly much better.

"Great," he said awkwardly. "Should we say around 8?"

"Um, okay," Serena said. Ash gave an awkward smile and sat back down in his seat.

"You wanted your sign Serena," Shauna whispered. "Well, that was it." Serena couldn't believe what was happening, and neither could Ash. He couldn't believe he let Clemont and Bonnie talk him into this, talking to Serena now was tough enough as it is. They were both nervous as a Wurmple in a Pidgey's nest, but at the same time, they both felt kind of excited.


	5. A Sinking Ship

A Sinking Ship

The Ninjask were buzzing in the trees as the sun had finally set. It had been a long day for everyone; with everything that had happened, all anyone could think about was when it would all end. That is until Clemont and Bonnie had cooked up that plan for Ash to finally ask Serena to come to Alola with them. Ash was nervous enough as it was, but compared to him Serena was a complete wreck.

"What should I do, what should I wear?!" she said as she frantically ran around her room rummaging through her clothes. "It's just the two of us, what's it going to be?! Formal, semi-formal, is it just dinner like any other night?!" Serena was in a panic, as Shauna watched her pace back-and-forth from each bag and closet. Shauna placed her hand over her face as she slowly shook her head in grief until she got up and stopped Serena in her tracks.

"Serena," she said firmly. "Take a deep breath and get a hold of yourself." She took a deep breath as she tried to help Serena do the same and calm down. Serena did as she did and started to relax, but not that much. "Why are you so scared about this? This morning you seemed pretty adamant about moving on from Ash, and now you're acting like it never happened."

"I don't know!" she said still flustered. "I knew it was big when he asked me this afternoon, but it's only just hitting me now… Ash asked me out on a date! A real date! He said we're going to the café downstairs, and Nurse Joy told me they have dancing on Tuesday nights! Dinner, dancing, and then he's going to ask me to come to Alola with him, but then there's Palermo who's been waiting and.. and… OOOOOH!" Serena fell back onto the bed and planted her face in the dress she had been holding. She wasn't crying, but her face was flaming red; it may have been too much for her to take in. Shauna understood what she was saying, and grew concerned about her friend. She walked over and put her arm on Serena's shoulder, as she sat down next to her on the bed. "I just… I just don't know what exactly I feel anymore. This morning, I was so sure I wanted to stop getting my hopes up and move on. But now, here I am getting ready for a date with the guy I'm trying to move on from, and it's like everything's spinning out of control. What does it mean?" Serena looked down to the floor, more confused than ever. Shauna pondered what to say next, and before long knew exactly what Serena had to hear.

"Well," she started. "Someone once told me, that if you're thinking about them a lot, and you're getting confused by it, it pretty much guarantees you have feelings for them." Serena looked up at her, thinking she knew what was next, but a little confused. "Basically, you still have feelings for him. I guess you were just trying to move on because you felt hurt that he was being so dense. Not his fault, some people are just like that. But, one thing I've learned is that you need to be true to your feelings; even if you're not ready to tell someone, you can't lie to yourself about it. You're the one who taught me that." Serena's head jumped back an inch in surprise. "So, what I don't understand is, if you're saying I should be honest with myself, why won't you do the same? You've been dreaming about this for a long time, so why don't you just stop trying to make this more complicated than it is, and just do what it is you've been thinking about for so long?" Serena looked down, lost in thought about what Shauna was saying. What she said made sense, though she was a little frustrated she couldn't see it herself. She took a deep breath, to clear her head, and with that, she knew what she wanted.

"Alright then," she calmly replied. "Shauna, hand me that ribbon please." Shauna smiled, happy her friend knew what to do, and happily complied. Meanwhile, while Serena was finally sorting out what she wanted, Ash was starting to lose it himself.

***Meanwhile...***

Clemont and Bonnie were helping Ash into a formal suit, appropriate for the theme of the café's special event tonight. Pikachu and Dedenne watched but were just more and more confused by what exactly was happening. Ash had been acting calm and casual about everything going on, in spite of how nervous he was on the inside, but now that nervousness was starting to leak out. Ash was wearing a black suit, with an unbuttoned coat, and a red tie. He was so nervous, though, his hands kept shaking whenever he tried to tie it around his neck.

"N-n-no, that's not right," he stuttered. "It goes around, then through, then overlaps… No! Ugh, aren't these things supposed to have clip-ons?!" Bonnie, walked up to him and made him bend down so she could tie it for him.

"Only if you're five years old," she said. "Actually, not even then." She finished tying it, just as Ash took a deep breath as he stood up. He tried to relax a bit more, but all he did was face palm himself as he began to pace around the room again.

"How did I let you guys talk me into this," he said on the verge of a nervous breakdown. " _Why_ did I let you guys talk me into this?!"

"Ash calm down, please," Clemont said trying to ease the situation. "All you're doing is going to dinner with her, then dancing later when the café clears out the dance floor. What's the big deal?" Ash turned his head and glared at Clemont as if the answer should've been obvious.

"The big deal is that it's Serena!" he exclaimed. "The girl I've been traveling with for the past year, one of my best friends!"

"Come on, Ash," Bonnie said. "Clemont's right, it's not like you haven't done this before. What about at that dance for the performers, when you were Miette's date?"

"That was different," Ash replied. "We were supposed to dance with everyone, and I didn't even get to dance with Serena… Y'know what, forget it! I can't do this; there's no way any of this is gonna make Serena change her mind about Palermo just because I ask her." Ash sat down on the bed and started to tear off his tie in frustration. Pikachu tried to comfort him, when Clemont walked up to Ash and grabbed him by the hands, just as he had almost gotten it off.

"Ash, listen to me," he said sternly. "Serena cares about her dream, but there's one thing she cares about more: Us, her friends. But you, you're her oldest friend; she cherishes that friendship more than anything. I'm certain that there's more than one way for her to work towards her dream outside of Kalos, and if there is, she will find it. All you need to do is give her the reason to." Clemont re-tied Ash's tie as he tried to help Ash feel more confident about the plan, but it didn't do as much as he'd hoped. There was a knock on the door just as Clemont was finishing up, and he walked over to get it. "Just do what you can to show her a good time, and when the moment's right, ask her. You're going to do fine." Ash sighed and shrugged at what Clemont said, and just looked down at the floor.

"I just don't know if I can go through this again," he said to himself. Bonnie heard what Ash said, and looked at him a bit puzzled.

"What was that?" she asked, snapping him out of his trance.

"Uh, nothing," Ash replied. "Just thinking out loud. *Sigh* Alright, here goes." Ash walked up to the door as Clemont opened it. He looked out into the hall, and his eyes widened with awe. Serena was wearing a maroon dress with long sleeves, and cream colored fringes on the front, which all went down just above her knees. She also wore matching boots, with raspberry colored stockings, and red ribbon in her hair, with a fairy flower necklace. Ash was completely awestruck by how radiant Serena looked, and couldn't help but gasp a bit.

"Well… You ready?" Serena said, after whipping her slightly grown back hair to the sides. Ash snapped out of it just before anyone could notice he was spacing out.

"Yeah," he said. "As ready as I'll ever be." The two of them joined arms and walked off together; neither one of them looking at the other, but blushing redder than they ever had before. Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu, Dedenne, and Shauna all stayed back and watched, certain things would go well. Though, Ash and Serena weren't as confident.

***Later That Evening***

The night had gotten deeper and darker; the Volbeat and Illumise had come out to play around the Pokémon Center. The doors to the outside were open, so they could fly in. Dinner had just ended, and the café was now a sparkling dance floor, lit up by hundreds of colorful lights from the firefly Pokémon. A slow song was playing, a deep and romantic melody, that made dancing to it that much more intimate, and Ash and Serena were caught in the middle of it. Ash had gotten nervous after dinner when the hostess announced they were about to start the dancing, and he had asked Serena without even thinking. Now they were sealed in, trapped in the melody of the music like a cage, with only the last key of the song to unlock it and let them out, but that would be a while. Serena and Ash just stared into each other's eyes, trying everything they could to enjoy the evening without making it awkward, and for the most part, it was working.

"You know," Ash whispered. "I've actually been wanting an excuse to dance with you, ever since we just missed it at the event for the performers." Serena blushed a bit as Ash spun her around, into his arms.

"R-really?" she asked nervously. Ash spun her back to face her before he answered.

"Well, yeah," he replied. "I was actually really looking forward to it, and the music stopped just before we could. Some bad stroke of luck, huh?" Serena gently nodded as the music began to get deeper and more romantic. Without realizing it, Ash began to hold her closer. Serena could feel it, but did nothing to stop it, and just let it happen. "I'm sorry, I guess I got caught up in the music. I'll back awa..."

"No," Serena calmly interjected. "It's alright. It makes it easier to dance this way." Serena started to get caught up in the music as well, and slowly, she started to place her head against Ash's chest, and closed her eyes. Ash felt her heart beating with his, and began to hold her tighter until a sour note on the piano player's part snapped him out of it.

"Um, Serena?" Ash said, snapping her out of it too. Serena jumped back a bit and blushed hard as they looked at each other.

"I-I'm sorry!" she said starting to panic. "I don't know what came over me, I just…" Before she could finish that ramble, Ash stopped her.

"It's okay," he said calming her. "I… I feel it too…" Serena knew just what he meant, and she began to tear up a bit, as did Ash. They both finally realized that this was the end of their time together; the thought of how far apart they were going to be after this was torturing them, and it began to show. Ash took her back in his arms, and they just stood there, in one another's embrace, reveling in it until the music stopped.

By the time the music ended, everyone started to go back to their rooms. Except for a few who strolled outside to watch the Pokémon fly off, and watch the starry night sky, including Ash and Serena. The two of them walked outside onto the balcony and looked up into the vast cosmos that surrounded them. Ash leaned back against the rail, and Serena leaned forward onto it, as they got lost in the glimmering lights all around them.

"It's an amazing night," Serena said trying to continue their night together. "Looking out at all this really makes you think." Serena looked to Ash, who returned the glance to concur with her. "What does it make you think about?" Ash looked back up and took a deep breath before answering.

"Stuff," he began. "The things I've seen, the people I've met, all the people and places I'm still gonna see and meet. All the Pokémon out there, hiding in the forests, swimming in the oceans, even traveling deep in space where we can't go. It just makes me think about what else is out there." Serena looked back to the stars above them and smiled. "What about you? What do you think about when you look at this?" Serena tilted her head and pondered an answer.

"I guess," she said figuring it out. "When I look at it, it makes me think ahead. Sometimes, I just stop and think about my dream, and how far I've come. Then, when I look up at all of this, I remember how much further I have to go, how I still have so much to learn. I get a little scared and a little jittery, but then I get this warm feeling, and I feel like there's so much I can do. So I feel like I can do it, whatever's next, I'll be able to get past it and another step closer to my dream." Ash glanced back up, and his expression began to dim a little.

"So," he started. "You think going with Palermo will help you do that?" Serena broke her concentration, and looked back to Ash, hoping he was going where she was told he would.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," she said partly implying something like it was so obvious. "Palermo is the biggest talent agent in the world, and she said she saw something in me herself. I'm pretty-much-guaranteed fame and adoration if I go with her. Besides, it's not like any other options have opened up." Serena began to come closer to Ash, and he did the same the more they talked.

"I'm sure there are other places with people that need amazing performers like you to help brighten up their part of the world," Ash said slowly closing in on her.

"Probably," Serena replied. "It would be easier if I had a reason to go to those places. Figure out where I could go to perform, where I could make other people happy." Serena and Ash were incredibly close now, almost kissing. They could feel each other's breath as they stood there, no longer saying a word until Ash broke the silence.

"Serena," he partially whispered.

"Yeah, Ash?" she partially whispered back.

"There's something I've been wanting to say to you all day," he continued. "And, I think now's the time to say it." Serena began to blush a bit and became more enthralled in what he was going on about.

"What's that?" she asked, as they almost went in for a kiss.

"I… I," Ash stuttered. He tried to muster up the courage to finally ask her, but he got cold feet and went back. "Want you to know how happy I am for you." Serena went back from her dazed state and started seriously listening to what Ash said. "When you and I met up again, you said you didn't know what you were gonna do; all you said was you were trying to return my handkerchief, and that was pretty much done when you found me. But, now look at you; you found a dream that you're passionate about, and you've made it so far. You even got to challenge Aria, and now you're going to be learning from one of the best there is. You've really come a long way, and I can't believe how lucky I've been to watch you do it. I-I'm really proud of you." Serena's face began to blush a bit more, as a grin slowly crept up on her face. She soon had a big smile, and she hugged Ash right there and then. She was so overjoyed to hear that from Ash, she began to tear up, but they weren't only tears of joy. Ash's eyes became a little teary at the edges as well, they both felt what just happened, and they both knew it wouldn't go any further than that. After they had finished, they walked back to their rooms; Ash stopped in front of his, while Serena walked a few feet ahead, to hers. They both opened their doors a bit and, just before going in, looked at each other to say goodnight. They shut their doors simultaneously as they turned into their rooms for the night, but before they could get ready, their friends all had stayed up in anticipation.

"Well?!" Shauna said to Serena, catching her off guard. "How did it go?!" Serena tilted her head down and shook her head a bit. Shauna just became confused and asked what happened.

"I had the time of my life with Ash tonight," Serena began. "And, I finally have the answer to the question I've had since the day we met up again: Ash and I are just friends, and that's all it's ever going to be." Serena began to take off her excess clothing and walked over to the shower, ready to turn in for the night. Shauna watched as she glumly made her way to the bathroom, and couldn't help but feel her pain with every step she took.

Meanwhile… "Well?!" Bonnie said jumping up in Ash's face. "How'd it go?! Did she freak out?! Did she squeal?! Did she hug you and you both fell over onto the floor in excitement?! Tell me!" Clemont reached out with his Aipom arm and pulled Bonnie out of Ash's face.

"Sorry Ash," he said calmly. "But we simply have to know, how did it go when you asked her?" Ash looked down, disappointed in himself, which gave Clemont all the clue he needed. "You didn't ask her, did you?" Bonnie became shocked and started to freak out about it.

"What?!" she exclaimed, almost loud enough to be heard in the room next door. DENENENE! "Dedenne's right, why didn't you ask her?!" Ash just kept staring off into space, until Pikachu walked up to him and started to rub up against his leg. Pika-pika, the mouse Pokémon squeaked trying to comfort Ash. He bent down to pet Pikachu on the head, then got up to face them.

"I just couldn't do it," he began to explain. "Serena's dream means everything to her, and she's come so far. Even if there is a way for her to accomplish it out in Alola, I just can't take her away from the biggest thing that could ever happen to her. She'll be able to make it so much further with Palermo… And, that's just how it's gonna have to be." Ash untied his tie and placed it on the bed. "Now, I'm gonna shower and go to bed, I've had enough of this craziness for one day." He walked off as Clemont, Bonnie, and both the electric mice watched him; lost in thought about what would happen now, and how this would change everything… Forever.


	6. All Aboard!

All Aboard!

Dawn had broken on a new day; the sun was peaking over the horizon, the morning Swablu were singing, and the smell of breakfast downstairs wafted through the halls. Ash was straining to get up, his eyes just couldn't seem to stay open from such a bad night. Truth was, it had been a rough night for everyone, more sickening and more painful than a thousand Poison Jab attacks at once. With everything that had happened, no one would've gotten up with enough Z's, and who could blame them. Little did he realize it, Ash missed the biggest opportunity he would ever face, and would soon live to regret it all the more. The smell of fresh pancakes had enticed everyone with its sweet aroma, and soon everyone had come down. But, even with food now getting crammed in their bellies, everyone looked worse than a Muk in a rainstorm, everyone but Sawyer that is. Sawyer had been completely out of the loop with everything going on, and because of that, he was able to doze off like a Snorlax. However, being the only one who did get to sleep, he grew concerned- and a little suspicious- about everyone else.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, completely oblivious to the situation. Everyone just stayed quite as they all slowly turned their heads towards him, sending a slight chill down his spine. "Okay…" He immediately retracted his question and went back to focusing on his food.

"Ugh, sorry Sawyer," Clemont said, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. "We're all just really tired, I don't think any of us really slept last night."

"Tired, tired.. Bonnie…" Bonnie mumbled as she started to doze off into her waffles. DENEEEE! Dedenne had gotten up, and given her a hard Nuzzle right to the cheeks. "Ugh… Thanks, Dedenne, I needed that." Sawyer just scratched his head, even more confused.

"How come everyone's so tired?" he asked. "Am I missing something?" Pikachu and Ash looked at each other for a few seconds, just before Ash answered.

"No, we're fine," he said groggily. "We're all just stressed out; after all, today is the last day we'll be traveling together."

"Yeah," Serena said, fiddling with the berries on her plate with a glum expression. "That's all it is…" Sawyer wasn't completely convinced, but he decided not to give it another thought. He figured if it was important enough, they would be mature enough to deal with it themselves, although the events from last night would certainly prove him wrong. Shauna was barely chewing on her food, just as upset as Serena. After she swallowed, she put down her fork and took a deep sigh.

"You know," she started, "I think I'm gonna eat outside, on the terrace today." Shauna picked up her plate and slowly walked outside, just as Serena grabbed hers and began to follow.

"I think I'll join you," she said trying to catch up.

"Mmm, I think I'll grab some more waffles," Sawyer said as he finished off what was left on his plate. "Anyone want me to grab anything while I'm up there?"

"How about some of that Cheri Berry syrup?" Ash asked, breaking the silence. Sawyer nodded his head and went off to stuff his face even more, which was a first since Ash wasn't eating enough to stop him. "So I was thinking about what we should do before we head out to Alola. I think we should all head back home, stay for a while, and then meet up on Melemele Island in Alola once we're all done prepping. Sound good to you guys?" Bonnie and Clemont's faces turned pale as they looked at each other with awkward faces. "Is something wrong, you guys?"

"Well," Bonnie began, as she shrugged her head at Ash's question. "Actually Ash, there's something we wanted to tell you." Clemont sighed, dreading this moment, but knew they had to tell him.

"Bonnie and I talked it over last night," he continued. "and… well, you see, the thing is… *Sigh* Bonnie and I talked about it last night, and it just doesn't seem right." Ash just tilted his head and batted his eyebrow, even more confused. "I mean, going to another region sounds fantastic, but not if Serena's the only one of the group being left out." Bonnie stood up on her chair, as if ready to make a royal proclamation.

"If one of us stays behind, we all stay behind!" she announced to Ash. "If we all go, Serena should go too, or at least decide not to go herself."

"So, I'm sorry Ash," Clemont continued. "but we won't be going to Alola with you either." Ash stepped back in shock; he had barely been hanging on with the idea of going to Alola without Serena, and now he wasn't going with anyone at all.

"Well…" he stammered. "Okay… I get it, you're right… But I just can't take Serena away from her dream… I guess that means I'll be going alone."

"Sorry Ash," Bonnie said sorrowfully.

"It's okay," Ash replied, trying to keep a straight face. "I get it…" Just as Ash was about to walk off, Sawyer ran up behind them, a little befuzzled.

"Hey guys," he began, "I just got a call from a Kalos League representative saying there were some peculiarities in my entry forms."

"Is everything alright?" Clemont asked.

"Oh sure," Sawyer replied. "But it turns out some new hires tried to steal some of my personal information from them during the league. I think they said something about a camera crew. Anyway, they caught the irregularities, but I need to sign a few things to help sort it out. Which means a lot of paperwork, so I may not be able to make it to the train station with you guys later."

"That's alright," Ash said. He extended his hand to Sawyer and the two of them shared a firm, respectful handshake. "Good luck out there."

"Thanks, Ash," Sawyer said with his voice breaking a bit in awe. "Well, I'd better go tell Shauna we'll be stuck here for a while. Wish me luck." Sawyer chuckled a bit at the joke as he walked off to tell his companion the plans. Ash took a deep breath and sighed as he started to walk off.

"Well," he began, "I guess I'd better go pack. Come on, Pikachu." The little mouse Pokémon hopped up onto Ash's shoulder as he began to walk off, but glancing at Bonnie and Clemont for just a moment. "No hard feelings, okay." Ash went off with Pikachu to pack, unseen to the others that he was staring at the ground the entire way there.

***Later That Day***

The gang had packed everything up and made it to the next town. The roads had reopened, and it was as cold as Snowbelle City, which forced everyone to wear their warmest winter wear. It was 6:00 in the evening, just an hour before Serena's train was going to leave. Looking up at the entry way to the track, Serena felt something stirring inside. She was so nervous, shaking more than a Spinda during an earthquake, but she felt as ready as she could be. As she turned around to look at her friends one last time, she began to tear up just a bit.

"Well," she started, "This is my stop…" Serena began to well up more, as a few more tears started to stream out, which caused Bonnie to tear up as well.

"Serenaaaa!" she cried out as she ran up to hug her, tears flowing down her face. Serena knelt down and gave Bonnie a big hug. "I'll miss you!"

"Oh Bonnie," Serena said groggily, "I'll miss you too!" As the two of them began to finish their hug, Clemont walked up to them, with a few tears in his eyes as well. Serena stood up and smiled as even more tears filled her eyes and gave him a big hug to match.

"You'll do great!" Clemont said. "Don't forget to write."

"I won't," Serena said as she started to break away from the hug. As she turned to look at Ash, her smile suddenly began to fade. Ash had a few tears in his eyes too, he wanted to try to tell her goodbye, but when he walked up to her he didn't know what to say. The two of them stood there awkwardly for a short bit when Serena broke the silence. "So I guess this is it." Ash looked down, lost in thought about how it was really time: time to say goodbye.

"Yeah," he said, still stuck in the awkwardness. "You're going to see Palermo, and I'm heading home."

"Oh?" Serena said, tilting her head a little.

"Yeah," Ash said. "I looked into the local airports, and it turns out there's one in the next town that can bring me back to Pallet Town tonight." Serena gave a single hum as she understood, and tried to figure out what to say next, leaving them back in the awkward silence. "Look Serena... I..." Serena immediately turned her head to Ash and blushed a bit, hoping he might say something to prove her wrong about their relationship. "I just… *Sigh*… I hope you find everything you're looking for." Serena's blush died down a bit in disappointment, but she soon smiled, happy that they were still so close. Ash smiled a bit too, just as they both walked up to one another to hug. "Goodbye, Serena."

"Goodbye Ash," Serena whispered into his ear. A bell sounded from a speaker on the wall as an announcer said, "Train 17 to Snowbelle has departed. Next train to Coumarine departing in 55 minutes." Serena turned her head to look at the clock next to the speaker, then turned to Ash one last time just before breaking away. She picked up her bag and began to walk off, but not before turning around to take a good look at her friends. She smiled, tears still staining the sides of her eyes, but she was happy, even if it meant saying goodbye. "Goodbye." Everyone smiled one last time, just as she walked off to board the train. Ash's smile was the first to vanish, now that she was gone. As Clemont and Bonnie turned to talk to Ash about the news they had just heard.

"You're leaving tonight, huh?" Clemont asked.

"Yeah," Ash responded. "I guess with nothing else keeping me here, I should probably get home to my mom as soon as possible." Clemont was a little irritated by this, but what he said made sense, and he knew Ash was pretty heartbroken from everything. So all he did was smile and concur.

"Well then," he began, extending his hand, "Until we meet again." Ash smiled a bit as he took Clemont's hand and gave it a hearty shake. Bonnie couldn't stand what she was seeing and teared up a bit more, soon running right into Ash's arms, mid-shake.

"Bye, Ash," she said, teary-eyed. "Bye, Pikachu!" The two of them gave her a big hug and walked off to try and catch their plane. Pikachu nuzzled Ash a bit as they went along, trying to comfort him from how he really felt. Ash patted his best friend on the head as they slowly walked away. Once he was out of the train station, he turned around and gave it one last look, thinking about where Serena was going and how it would all change after this. All he did before continuing was whisper one thing; one little wish he wanted for Serena, more than anything, in spite of how hurt he was.

"Have a great life."

***30 Minutes Later***

The wind had started to get stronger, and the temperature kept dropping. It was as if there were a pack of Abomasnow in the area. Everyone was freezing, and no one was able to move, no one except for a young couple on the run. Sawyer had finished up his paperwork early, and he and Shauna were rushing to make it to the train station before Serena left. They'd said their goodbyes earlier, but with a chance to see her off themselves, they weren't going to miss it.

"Hurry Sawyer!" Shauna called out, way ahead of him. "Ugh, and I thought Clemont was slow! If we miss them, I'm not baking anymore PokéPuffs until you stop moving slower than a Slowpoke in glue!"

"I'm-going-as-fast-as-I-can!" Sawyer said, huffing and puffing in exhaustion. "Hey! There's the station!" Sawyer caught up to Shauna just as he spotted it, and was practically exhaling Frost Breath attacks when he stopped.

"If we hurry, we can still catch them!" Shauna said, even more, pumped now. "Let's go!" Shauna dashed ahead of Sawyer just as he was finally able to feel his lungs again.

"Wait uuuup!" Sawyer cried out, barely starting to run after her. "Maybe you don't, but I really need to breathe!" Shauna was right about one thing, they were still there. Serena was still waiting for the train to leave, and Clemont and Bonnie had gotten sidetracked. Dedenne had run off during their farewell with Ash, and Bonnie was frantic.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cried out. "Where are you, Dedenne?! Oh Clemont, what if we don't… what if Dedenne is…"

"Shh..." Clemont said, trying to comfort his little sister. "Don't worry, we'll find it. Dedenne may get loose a lot, but it always comes back in the end." Bonnie wiped away the little tears that had started to form around her eyes and held a new, determined expression; she was now totally pumped to find Dedenne. However, it seemed there wasn't really much need for it.

"Is this yours?" Shauna grabbed their attention as she held up Dedenne in her hands, making Bonnie smile wider than she had for a long time.

"Dedenne!" she cried out as she ran up to give it a big hug. "Thank you, Shauna! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Shauna giggled a little as she watched Bonnie toss Dedenne up in the air in celebration. Meanwhile, Sawyer had finally managed to catch up to her and was about to collapse from exhaustion.

"Wow! You guys are here!" Clemont exclaimed as he walked up to them. "Did you both really hike all the way from the Pokémon Center?"

"Don't-say-hiked," Sawyer pleaded, too exhausted to want to even hear anything about walking.

"Sawyer finished up the papers early," she explained. "So we thought we'd hurry and try to say goodbye to Serena before she leaves. Where is she?"

"Um, platform D-6," Clemont said. "The train is there, but it won't be leaving until they can finish maintenance. Her seat should be in car number 5."

"Alright," Shauna said, smiling. "Come on Sawyer, let's go!" Shauna began to run off but stopped when she realized that Sawyer was just standing there, breathing heavily.

"You-go-ahead," Sawyer said, barely getting his breath back. "I'll-catch-up." Shauna just closed her eyes, shook her head, and shrugged at Sawyer. He was slow, but she loved him anyway, slowness and all. Sawyer finally managed to get his breath back, and stood up straight as he regained focus.

"Few! That's better," he said, looking at Clemont and Bonnie. Then it hit him: Clemont and Bonnie were here, but Ash was nowhere to be found. "Hey, where's Ash gotten to, shouldn't he be here to say goodbye?"

"We said our goodbyes a half an hour ago," Clemont explained. "We just got sidetracked when Dedenne ran off. Ash said he was leaving early for Pallet Town, so he went ahead to catch a plane."

"What?!" Sawyer said in shock. "He didn't even tell you guys he was going? That doesn't sound like Ash; he would've at least gone back with you guys to Lumiose City."

"Well, you know Ash," Clemont said. "He does what he wants, and there's no telling what he'll do next." Bonnie just pouted at that remark, frustrated about how true it was.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Like one minute he'll be all excited to take us to Alola, then the next he'll be too Torchic to ask Serena!"

"Wait, what was that?" Sawyer asked. Bonnie hadn't mumbled quietly enough, and Sawyer heard him. "Did you say Ash was going to ask Serena to Alola?!" Bonnie suddenly became flustered; she couldn't believe she blurted out the secret for everyone to hear, again. She tried to cover it up, but it was no use. Sawyer was beginning to put the pieces together, and they all fit perfectly. He looked her right in the eyes and stopped her as she was beginning to blurt out more. "Tell. Me. Everything." Bonnie knew from experience there was no use denying it and explained everything to Sawyer, a little surprised he was still so out of the loop.

Ash had been walking for 45 minutes but hadn't gotten very far. He was barely out of town when he heard the train whistle. As he looked to it, he knew that soon it would be departing, and he would likely never see Serena again.

"Well buddy," Ash said, looking at the electric mouse on his shoulder, "I guess it's just you and me again." Pikachu did nothing but turn his head and scowl as Ash tried talking to him. "What? Don't tell me you're planning on leaving too!" PIKAPIKA! The little Pokémon snapped at Ash for that remark, but Ash apologized and rubbed his best friend on the tail. "Sorry buddy, I know you'd never do that, I won't joke about it again." Pikachu smiled a bit as he got scratched in his favorite spot, but quickly changed his face back to a frown. "What? What did I do?" Pikachu knew Ash was upset, but he couldn't take it anymore. He knew if Ash had just said something sooner, there wouldn't be any problem, and he planned to keep it that way until they were back in Pallet Town. "Fine, be that way." Ash just looked ahead and kept going, until the call of a familiar voice stopped him. "Huh? Is that-" Ash turned around to see Sawyer not too far away, running and panting hard as he tried to get him to stop. "Sawyer? What are you doing here?" Sawyer stopped right in front of Ash and knelt down on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"Well, for one thing," he began to explain, "Thinking Shauna's right, I need to cut off the sweets." Sawyer quickly caught his breath and stood back up as he recovered. "But also, I'm here to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life." Ash just tilted his head in confusion; what Sawyer was saying sounded like gibberish, caused by him being short of breath. "Ash, you shouldn't keep it to yourself. You need to tell Serena. You want her to go to Alola with you, so you can't just let her go without saying anything!" Ash just jumped back a bit and turned his head in denial.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he said, trying to deny everything. Pikachu and Sawyer both just gave him glares of ridicule. Why did he think there was any point denying it?

"Ash, Bonnie told me," Sawyer explained. Ash got a shocked look on his face and gritted his teeth about that. "Don't be mad at her, it just slipped out. More importantly, what I don't get is why you're not saying anything to Serena. You invite everyone, except for the one girl you like? That doesn't make any sense!" Ash jumped back again and began to blush at that comment.

"W-what?!" he said in shock. "What would make you think-"

"Ash, don't be coy with me," Sawyer said with a stern glare. "Everyone else might not notice it, but I do. I've seen the way you look at her, that smile you get on your face when she does something for you, or something talented and amazing. That's the same look I get when I'm with Shauna." Ash blushed, even more, trying to find some way out of it.

"Wait, you like Shauna?" he said, failing to change the subject. PIKAPIKA! Pikachu snapped at him, stopping him from trying to Buizel his way out of it. "You too Pikachu?"

"Ash, Pikachu's right," Sawyer said, getting them back on track. "We're talking about **you** now. I know you like her, and I need you to be straight with me." Ash just scoffed at Sawyer and tried to avoid his gaze.

"Alright, so what if I do?" Ash said. "What's your point?"

"My point is you're not making any sense," Sawyer continued. "If you like her, why won't you ask her to go with you?"

"I don't want to interfere with her dream," Ash snapped.

"That's not it," Sawyer said, denying it.

"I don't want things to get awkward between us by asking her," Ash tried again.

"That might be partly true, but that's not it either," Sawyer refuted. "Come on Ash, just tell me the truth! Why won't you ask the girl you love to come travel with you?" Ash had his teeth clenched, but finally came out with it when he couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay, you want the truth?" Ash said, beginning to shout a little, as Pikachu jumped off his shoulder before it got too ugly. "Here's the truth! I'm just not ready! I can't go through this again!" Sawyer and Pikachu both became really confused as Ash said that, which made Ash even more upset, though he began to tear up a little instead of scream. "3 years ago, I traveled with a girl named May. She was really fun, still learning and I was able to teach her. So, there was some point where I ended up falling for her just like Serena. Later that year, we visited her parents in Petalburg for Christmas. Without looking, we got caught under the mistletoe together and ended up sharing our first kiss. I was afraid she didn't like me back, but that moment it became clear. For those few seconds together we weren't just Ash and May, we were _Ash and May_ if that makes any kind of sense." Sawyer began to become a bit concerned as he listened to Ash, but he understood what he was saying. "But before we could finish, her parents walked in. They were furious about it, and they almost forbid her from traveling with us anymore. The only way I could change their minds was if I promised never to try anything with May again. I didn't want us to stop, but I didn't want to lose one of my best friends even more." Ash turned away from Sawyer and began to well up a bit after admitting all that to someone. Sawyer walked over to his friend and grabbed him by the shoulder. Ash turned around and wiped the few tears he had left off his face. "I'm sorry. I never really told anyone about that before."

"It's alright," Sawyer said, trying to help him, but he hardly knew what to say. "So you won't say anything to Serena because you're still in love with May?"

"What? No," Ash said, rubbing his eyes. "I moved on from May a long time ago. But that feeling I had the rest of the time we were traveling, that horrible, gut wrenching feeling I had, knowing that we could never be more than just friends… it's too much for me to think about. I just can't go through that again, and even if Serena does feel the same way, I'm just not ready… *Sigh* Not like it matters much now anyway, she's going with Palermo to make her dreams come true. She'd never give that up." Ash looked down at the ground, more depressed than ever. Sawyer was really concerned about him, but took a deep breath and knew what he had to say.

"Alright Ash," he said, "I can't imagine going through that and never being able to do anything about it, but I think you may be worrying a little too much here. I might not be that good at reading girls, but I'm pretty sure I've seen Serena look at you that way more than once. I could be wrong, but that still means there's a chance. But I get it, even if she does, you're not ready to say something, but so what? Don't tell her now; tell her tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, whenever you decide it is you're ready. But if she's not there the moment you are, and you let her go off with the one person in the world who can make her dreams come true, in a region where she's already really famous and has hundreds of guys who are crazy about her, she's not coming back with any doubts." Ash listened to what Sawyer had to say, and understood, but seemed to become glummer and even more confused about what to do. "Even if it's not likely, the decision to go with Palermo or not is her choice, so what good is worrying about it when you don't even know for sure there's no chance?" Ash clenched his fist as he tried to sort out in his head what he had to do. All sorts of conflicting feelings were going through his mind now, but what Sawyer said made sense, and soon he unclenched his fist as the answer became clear.

"I need to stop that train," he said. Sawyer and Pikachu smiled as Ash realized what he wanted, and what he had to do to get it. "Come on Pikachu, Sawyer." Pikachu climbed up on his shoulder and Sawyer placed his hand on Ash's shoulder, concurring with what Ash was about to do. "We've got a train to catch!"


End file.
